Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-05-28
CHINESE ART.
The Motives That Give 1t Such Odd Char
acteristics.

| A short time ago the British Museum
acquired comprehensive collection of
japanese and Chinese pictures, made by
Mr.. William Anderson, for some years
medical officer to the British legation in
Toxic.
Amongst the motives of the artists of
China and Japan, mythical zoology held
very important place, says Mr.. Ander-
son. The Chinese have developed myth
ical zoology to a greater extent than any
other nation. "Their literature teens
with strange conceits, some of which APP
pear to be transcripts of local folklore :;
Others appertain to Buddhism or Taoistic
legends, and others are accepted as sober
facts of natural history" These have
almost been adopted and improved in
treatment by the japanese.
Among the myths that afford favorite
subjects to the native artists are giants,
dwarfs, perforated men, who are con-
veyed about by coolies by means of
poles put through holes which con-
veniently exist in their bodies for this
purpose; stomachless men, who, accord
ing to popular belief, "dare not laugh
for they have no sides to hold" men
with enormous long legs, and those with
similarly long arms; men with tails,
who carefully dig holes where they sit
in order to provide receptacle for the
appendage; and many other extraordi-
nary beings, all of which are truthfully
described, from Chinese works of author
ity and repute, in the great Japanese
encyclopedia Wa-Kan-San-Sai dzu-ye.
Then there are beings who combine
with human elements parts naturally
appertaining to the lower animals-such
are feathered men; those with human
faces, but the wings and beak of bird;
mermen, who have human heads and
arms attached to the body of fish and
learn the secrets of the deep from the
murmuring hollow of the Conchifer To
this section also belongs the vampire
bride, who lures men to her deadly en-
braces till she has drained away their
life-blood.
The tiger is classed in Chinese mythol-
ogy as one of the supernatural animals,
the king of beasts, and the representa-
tive of the masculine or active principle
of Nature. 1t attains the age of thou
sand years, and after passing the half of
this term its hair becomes white. 1t is
sometimes seen in association with the
dragon, apparently as the emblem of the
power of faith. 1t is also regarded as
the type of wisdom. The fox, again, is
the demon of mischief, with the
power of changing his shape at
will. but ever with some evil design on
the comfort of mankind When he
reaches the age of fifty, Mr.. Anderson
tells us, he is able to accomplish at will
his most favorite and baneful metamor-
phosis into the resemblance of woman
kind; at hundred he can take the shape
either of young and beautiful girl, or
of wizard strong in all the powers of
magic; and when he reaches the term of
a thousand years he becomes Celestial
Fox, characterized by a golden color
and nine tails, and may be admitted
to Heaven. But it appears he does not
always avail himself of this privilege,
for the possession of the extra tails
only gives him an augmented cunning
and capacity for wickedness The tor
toise also attains marvellous longevity,
and is variously represented as the en-
bodiment of star in Ursa Major, and
as descendant of the first dragon. In
| Hindoo mythology the tortoise sup
| the world in Japanese art it is
| ranrnSnnta1 hoo ri,,p tic hoo ha
mountain abode of the immortals. The
| horse is also associated with longevity,
and it is still popular belief that the
female is delivered of its progeny through
the mouth. The crane is one of the com
monest figures in Japanese art; in
Chinese mythical zoology there are four
varieties, distinguished by their colors !;
they all live to fabulous age, and after
completing 600 years are superior to the
necessity of other sustenance than water
| Other favorite subjects of oriental
artists are serpents 800 feet long, which
devour elephants; nine tailed foxes the
four-eared monkey which heralds the
deluge; the fish with ten bodies and one
head the dragon, which. according to
the Japanese encyclopedia already men
toned, has the head of a camel, the horns
of deer, the eyes of demon, the ears
of an OK the body of serpent, the scales
of carp, and the claws of an eagle.
1t is the most familiar object in the
art of China and Japan. 1t is treated by
writers of the last century as really eX-
listing. 1t becomes at will, according to
Chinese author of the seventh century
B. c., reduced to the size of silkworm,
or swollen till it fills the space of Heaven
and earth. The kiln or kirin, "the noblest
form of the ancient creation, and an en-
blem of perfect good" also belongs
to this class of composite monsters. 1t
has the body of a deer, the tail of
an OK, and a single horn, so
that it resembles the unicorn. The
phoenix is another animal of this kind,
with the head of pheasant, the beak of
swallow, the neck of tortoise and the
outward resemblance of dragon. 1t is
regarded as an omen of good, and her.
aids the advent of beneficent reign.
'In works of art it is a nondescript bird
of gorgeous plumage, intermediate be-
tween that of the peacock and bird of
paradise and bears flame-like appendages
where the neck joins the body"
To the mythical animals already men
toned, which are common to China and
Japan, the japanese have added some of
their own invention. Such are serpents,
giant centipedes, monster devil-tishes !;
earth spiders, probably representing the